We Are Impacting Lives Positively: Adeleke Fires Back at Osun APC Over ‘Systemic Failure’ Claims

Osogbo, Osun State – The political feud in Osun State has escalated, with Governor Ademola Adeleke directly confronting the All Progressives Congress (APC) over its recent criticism that his administration is driving the state towards “systemic failure.” 

In a powerful rebuttal, Governor Adeleke asserted that his government has been positively impacting the lives of residents across all sectors since inception three years ago.  

The Governor’s response, issued through his Spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, came after the Osun APC accused the government of institutional breakdown, economic decline, and neglecting essential services despite receiving huge federal allocations.  

Reasserting Transformative Leadership

Governor Adeleke dismissed the opposition’s claims as rhetoric from an “unrepentant opposition” that failed the state in its previous tenure. 

He boasted that the positive impact of his administration is “manifestly obvious” and acknowledged by the people of Osun.

“In Osun state today, it is beyond argument that Governor Adeleke has delivered for the people. No matter where you look, the effect of good governance is manifestly obvious,” Mallam Rasheed stated.

The administration highlighted several key areas of achievement that it claims have “reinvigorated hopes” and bolstered the state’s economic prospects:

• Workers’ Welfare: The government claims to have paid up accumulated wage debt and ensured career progression with financial benefits for workers, in contrast to the previous administration’s practices.  

• Pensioners’ Support: The administration emphasized the payment of outstanding pension and salary arrears (close to ₦100 billion), fast-tracking bond issuances, and enrolling thousands of pensioners in the state’s expansive healthcare coverage—a first of its kind.  

• Infrastructure Renaissance: Adeleke’s team pointed to monumental physical infrastructure projects, including hundreds of kilometres of road construction and rehabilitation, the rehabilitation of over 200 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), and reforms in the water and land sectors. The government recently declared it has cut the infrastructure deficit by over 50%.  

• Economic Transparency: The administration also stressed that it has improved audit processes and adopted the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).

APC’s Core Allegations

The APC, however, remains unconvinced. The party’s Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Olabisi, had earlier claimed that Osun was drifting towards “systemic failure,” citing several major issues:  

• Crippled Judiciary: The prolonged strike action by the state judiciary has left citizens without essential legal services.  

• LG Shutdown: Local governments are allegedly “effectively shut down” for about a year.  

• Nepotism and Favouritism: The party accused the Governor of concentrating projects and political appointments in his hometown, Ede, describing it as an ‘Edenisation’ agenda.  

A Battle of Narratives

This sharp exchange highlights the deep rift between the ruling and opposition parties in the state, with the battle for public perception intensifying as the next election cycle approaches. 

While the APC points to institutional crises and fiscal mismanagement, the Adeleke administration continues to lean on its populist agenda of workers’ welfare and infrastructural delivery to justify its performance.  

The people of Osun State will ultimately judge which narrative holds the most weight.